AUTO-MAINTENANCE WALK

Our truck was due its 3,000 mile oil change, so my wife rode to the auto shoppe with me. We signed the auto-hospital admittance papers, played Frogger while crossing busy Pines Boulevard, and then walked from the mall area all the way to our home via Flamingo Road and Johnson Street.

There were groups of Ibis’ about stabbing their long beaks into the soft ground looking for worms. They made me think of our upcoming breakfast.

Our total shuffling distance was 2.01 miles, our elevation gain was one foot, and our gross time was something like 45 minutes. We spent six un-counted minutes cautiously looking both ways before crossing busy roads and hospital and mall entrance roads. That’s a lot of stopping and starting the Garmin. About the only thing that got tired on this walk was my right index finger.

With the temperature steady at 69 degrees F, it was a lovely walk in our sub-tropical paradise.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/259625578

http://app.strava.com/activities/36715157

SLOWER THAN NORMAL BIKE RIDE

The weather in paradise (South Florida, USA) was perfect this morning for a bike ride. The average temperature was 71.4F, the skin-burning sun was hidden by low hanging clouds, and the wind was coming from the east at around 5 to 7 mph. Perfecto, as we say in these parts!

Needing to really slow down my overall pace the next couple/three days, this morning I chose to ride with Ed, Rey and Greg. I have some running/walking events coming up this weekend in Walt Disney World, so I must guard against stressing out my left knee and lower back. Whether or not I’ll actually participate in Disney’s 5K, half marathon and full marathon is still up in the air. Each event will be a game day decision.

The route that we took this morning was basically an out and back route, beginning at Hiatus Road & Sheridan Street – our new meet-up place. I rode my bike to and from the meet-up spot instead of driving my vehicle, so my total mileage is four miles more that my cycling amigos.

Einstein’s Bagel and Coffee Shoppe in Weston was our one rest stop, where most folks in our gang enjoyed coffee and bagels. I brought along my own snack and drink, saving myself the pain of waiting in line to order and pay. After serving four years in the US Navy many years ago, when airplanes still had propellers, I developed a dislike for lines.

Wait, I’m not that old. We had numerous fighter and attack jets aboard my aircraft carrier. But in truth we did have a handful of AD3 Sky Raiders, which were the old single-engine propeller planes. 

Anyone remember those? Come on, admit your age! LOL

Ride stats:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/259295775

http://app.strava.com/activities/36517335

CYCLING CLUB GROUP BIKE RIDE

Saturday morning's bike ride was a group ride with the cycling club that I've been a member of for the past two years.

Our cycling club has two rides every weekend, one on Saturday and one on Sunday.

On this charming South Florida day, I chose to ride with the intermediate group (14 to 16 mph) instead of with the larger and faster advanced group (18 to 20+ mph). The deciding factor was my abhorrence for fast pace-line cycling, when drafting becomes a necessary evil.  That type of cycling at those speeds are way too dangerous in my opinion, especially since the skill-level and experience of certain cyclists are questionable.

Our smaller group of seven, which consisted of four ladies and three gentlemen, was about 1/5th the size of the faster group. But that’s okay, because in my opinion we were better looking, which I feel is supported by the picture above.  The larger group, however, also had its share of awesome-looking women.  I've learned that cycling seems to attract pretty ladies.     

There wasn't a whole lot of wind during today’s ride.   But when it was blowing in our faces, it seemed like I was pulling the pack. Not always, but mostly. I really didn't mind, though, because it made me look like a cycling he-man in front of the pretty petite ladies. Laughingly, I'm sure glad they couldn't see me huffing and puffing at times, especially when crossing the Stirling Road I-75 bridge.

During our 32-mile ride, we took one 10-minute rest at one of our popular grocery stores, Publix Market. This particular store was located right off of Glades (Named after the nearby Florida Everglades) Parkway just south of State Road 84/Interstate Highway 595. And for our convenience, the thoughtful people of Publix had a picnic table directly in front of the store just so we would have a place to rest our weary bodies. Nice people, those employees of Publix.

Near the end of this morning's ride, it just about broke my heart when we were compelled to ride over a bunch of loose change in the bike lane along Flamingo Road. The fast-moving traffic more or less dictated that we not stop for the shiny silver coins. I’ll remember where they are, though. Next ride, those coins are mine!

Average temperature during the ride was 71.2F.  Perfect!

Video of Ride

Ride stats via Strava and Garmin Connect:

http://app.strava.com/activities/35995585

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/258254867

NEW CYCLING ROUTE

Despite averaging only 8 to 9 mph on the first four miles as well as the last two miles (all sidewalks), I still averaged an overall pace of 13.4 mph on our new group route, which Sandy appropriately named “Bogart’s Ride” named after Bogart's Deli that is located in the car-park shopping center.  

I like the new route as well as the new car park area. I like the new route because it keeps us off a very dangerous section of Hiatus Road and I like the new car park area because we now have three legitimate places to empty our bladders should the need arise. The old car park had no place to discreetly empty out except for some cypress trees along the edge of a lake – right in clear view of a bunch of medical offices, one of them being a urologist office. Comical coincidence, I would say!

Per my Garmin Edge 500, the average temperature for today’s ride was a comfortable 75.6. And who am I to argue with my Garmin!? I’ll take those temps any old day.

We had one mechanical during today’s ride, a rear flat on Greg’s relatively new bike. Three of us stopped to assist with the flat. Try to imagine eight male hands fixing one flat. Unfortunately, my bike’s Contour Roam camera was facing the opposite direction during the tire change, otherwise I would be posting a comical video for all to see.

One half hour after arriving home from the ride, I took my Felt bike to my bike mechanic’s home for a thorough medical checkup. Lady Felt should be ready for our club ride tomorrow, if I opt to ride. More than likely I will!

Everyone have a wonderful, safe weekend.

Above picture is me on Indian Trace Rd. approaching Weston Road.  At the time, I was pulling the pace-line.    

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/257876129

EASY STROLL

This morning’s unaccompanied walk was one of those grateful walks, where you opt to take a slow walk by yourself reflecting on all that you’re thankful for. My list is endless!

After slowly strolling outdoors for one and a half miles, I walked into our fitness center for a weight machine workout, mostly upper body stuff. The only leg machines that I used today were the hip adduction machine and the hip abduction machine, two very important machines to use in later life. At least that’s what I’ve been told by the exercise physiologists.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/257426969

FIRST BIKE RIDE OF 2013

I knew from the onset of this morning’s bike ride that I would be extending my normal biking distance to at least 40 miles. The only uncertainty was the fact that I took out my wife’s ’97 Bianchi Trofeo instead of my 2011 Felt Z6.

During the first twelve miles, the approximate distance from the car park to the coffee shoppe, I knew that I could easily endure the change of bikes. I did, however, have to adjust the height of the saddle even more prior to leaving the coffee and bagel shoppe.

Like all Wednesday rides, we have a fast group and a slow group. I opted for the latter simply because of the uncertainty of the bike. Come to find out, the fast group kept the speed at 20 mph or less most of the time. I could have done that ride!

After splitting from the group near the end of the group ride, about one mile from the car park, I made my way into one of our county parks for more miles.

Looping around the park’s perimeter road for eleven miles isn’t exactly what I consider exhilarating, but I refused to remain in the traffic areas while cycling solo. It just isn’t safe in this area. Our region may be the next thing to paradise, but our beautiful weather, palm trees and ocean beaches attracts the masses and their vehicles. In a nutshell, we have too many doggone cars on our roads. And half of them don’t know where the blazes they are going, or so it seems.

Speaking of our weather, the temperature was 66F at the beginning of this morning’s ride and 77F when I completed the 40.2 miles. The humidity was 58% and the wind was coming from the south, southwest at 5 mph. We expect a high today of 81F.

I’ll think about turning on the central-air when it hits 80F.

Above is a picture of this morning's cycling group.  I'm the guy on the left wearing the Spider Man kit.   

http://app.strava.com/activities/35371217

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/257116500

NEW YEAR’S DAY WORKOUTS

What a wonderful way to begin a new year, casually walking to and from our neighborhood fitness center with my remarkable wife!

This morning’s slow walk gave us an opportunity to discuss what we’ve accomplished during 2012 and what our tentative goals are for 2013. Other than staying healthy, continue cycling, keep on walking, do some swimming during the summer months, and remaining fiscally fit during these difficult times, we haven’t set any new goals to speak of.

I may have increased my annual cycling goal a few miles, and my weekly biking goal to 120 miles, but they are very doable unless the creek rises well above my head. And we have no creeks in our immediate area, only an ocean!

The weather for this morning’s walk was beyond marvelous. 75F, partly cloudy, ocean breeze, low humidity! I’ll take it!

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/256614697